Another solar eclipse is set to sweep across the skies Wednesday, with a total eclipse darkening parts of Greenland, Iceland, and Spain while observers across portions of North America will see a partial eclipse.The total solar eclipse will occur when the moon passes directly between the sun and Earth, casting its shadow across the planet and temporarily blocking the sun’s light from areas along the eclipse’s path.The narrow path of totality will stretch roughly 5,157 miles, beginning over the Arctic coastline at around 1 p.m. Eastern and ending near the Balearic Islands at about 2:30 p.m. Totality will be visible across parts of Greenland, Iceland, northern Spain, and northeastern Portugal.
During totality, the sky can darken dramatically as the moon completely covers the sun. Temperatures can drop, bright stars and planets may become visible, and observers can see the sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona, glowing around the silhouetted moon.The moon, which is about 2,159 miles in diameter, is much smaller than Earth. As a result, its darkest central shadow, known as the umbra, is only a few hundred miles wide. As the moon moves along its orbit, that narrow shadow sweeps across Earth’s surface, creating the path of totality.
